


Timewarp

by ArsenicHazard



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Children, Angst, Gen, M/M, Magic, Mentions of Death, Neighbors, Slow Build, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:21:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22623244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArsenicHazard/pseuds/ArsenicHazard
Summary: There's something very different about Loki, the boy next door.(Originally written for Inktober 2016)
Relationships: Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	Timewarp

Ever since the boy with the dark hair had moved in next door, Thor had been enraptured by his mysteriousness.

Any attempt to be his friend only resulted in the other, known as Loki, rejecting him. Most people would have given up, but Thor wasn’t anything if he wasn’t relentless. Every day after school, the blond haired boy would knock on the other’s door, asking if he wanted to come outside and play. And almost every day, Loki would turn him down, saying that he smelled, or his games were boring. Thor would come back with a new game and a fresh shirt, knocking excitedly.

“Why won’t you get the hint that I don’t like you?” Loki shrieked once at Thor. The boy had been shocked at the outburst, staring at the other for a second.

“But- I want to be your friend…” Thor whispered.

“No, Thor. We can’t be friends. You and me, we aren’t the same. I’m not your friend.”

Thor would not give up so easily, however. He knew he barely had any chance left with the mysterious boy, but he kept himself optimistic. Loki would come around and see that they could be friends.

After school some days, he would walk over, knock on his door and ask him to go outside and relax together.

Loki turned him down several times, but every now and then, Loki would be so tired of Thor trying that he would oblige. They would spend the afternoon together, Loki giving Thor an excuse to leave before returning to his own place.

Thor had brought him ‘offerings’ once or twice, giving a smile to the other boy. “I got you some ice cream?” He murmured. Loki seemed to relax for a moment, taking the ice cream cone. Relief washed over Thor, thinking he had finally found something the two of them had in common. They sat down to eat it, and just as Thor was going to lick the blue ice cream, Loki reached his hand over and pushed the cone into his face, getting it all over his nose and cheeks.

With a calm smirk, the boy stood, looking over at Thor. “You look better that way.” He muttered coldly, walking away.

Thor watched his back as Loki went into his house, sighing slowly and wiping the ice cream on his sleeve. Was he ever going to make it with Loki?

**.** **.** **.**

Years had passed, the two neighbours growing up with each other. Thor was less eager to show Loki how infatuated he was with the boy, but he still tried to befriend him. 

There were a handful of times that Thor barely thought anyone lived in the house next to his; nights where the lights weren’t on in the home, and Loki was nowhere to be seen for a few days. It was as if the boy had never existed at all.

Come to think of it, Loki was just as mysterious now as the day they had first met. He had never seen the inside of his house, nor met his parents, or even seen him in school.

Loki showed himself less frequently after that week. Thor knocked on his door, but the next time Loki opened it wasn’t until halfway through the month. He looked less neat than usual, and exceptionally cranky.

“What do you want Thor?” He muttered, his words cold and angry.

“Loki, what happened? I haven’t seen you around-“

“It’s nothing. Just some family troubles.”

Thor let the conversation drop, wishing him good luck with whatever he was going through and returning to his own house. The next day, it was Loki knocking on Thor’s door with a small smile on his face. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out… You know, if you’re not too busy.”

Thor brightened, grabbing his sweater and following him out. They spent the entire day together, just talking or sitting in each other’s silence. Thor didn’t know why the sudden change, and by the end of the day, he was itching to find out why.

“Uh- Loki?” He asked, the other turning and giving him a small smile. They both held ice cream cones in their hands, and so far, Loki had not done anything rude to him all day. It was a strange feeling; he almost missed the banter. “What happened? Why are you acting this way?”

Loki paused, blinking up at him before the grin returned to him. He moved over, dipping his finger in Thor’s ice cream and poking the tip of his nose with it. 

“You wouldn’t believe me, even if I told you.”

“Let me have a chance?” Thor pleaded, but Loki only shook his head.

“I want to. But I can’t.”

With that, the boy left, back to his dark, silent house.

**.** **.** **.**

The two had become rather close after that, and Thor had basically forgotten about their mishaps as young children.

His parents, Odin and Frigga, surprised him for his eighteenth birthday with a two week trip away from the small house to a beach home, the entire family going away for the time.

Returning back to his easy lifestyle, nicely tanned and happy, he made note to stop by Loki’s the next day and tell him all about it.

In the morning, he walked over to the other’s place, pushing open the door. They had given up knocking quite a while ago, practically always over at Thor’s house together. Thor had never actually stepped inside Loki’s house, the other giving him the excuse that it was too dirty to have friends over. On the contrary, there was  _ nothing _ in the home. It wasn’t even furnished. It looked as if it was still up for sale, and anyone could move in. Where were all of Loki’s belongings? Where were Loki’s parents?

“Loki?” He called, wandering up to the second floor. He pushed open two bedroom doors until he found Loki resting on a mattress in the corner of one room. At the sound of his entry, Loki was awake. Shock and relief washed over his features as he clambered up and embraced the other. Before either of them knew it, Loki was crying silently, not letting go. “Oh my god, Thor, where have you been? I thought- I thought it had happened-“

“Loki?” Thor mumbled, clearly unsure of what the other was going on about. “What are you saying? What happened? Loki, talk to me, you’ve been so secretive, even as close friends, I need to know what’s going on.”

He sat the shaking teen down on the mattress, looking him over. Loki swallowed thickly, staring at his hands. “I told you, you won’t believe me.”

“Try me. I’m a pretty open-minded person.”

“I’m a time traveler.”

“—What??”

The boy laughed softly, wiping the tears on his cheeks away. “I told you-“

“No, no that’s so cool. Like for real, right? A time traveler! Can you take me to the future? What happens?”

“Thor!” Loki said sharply. “It’s not that simple. One question at a time.” Taking a breath, the dark haired boy calmed himself. “Yes, it’s real. Yes, I can take you anywhere in time.”

“Okay. What did you mean when you thought it had happened? Why did you look so scared, Loki?”

Sitting back, the boy wiped his palms on his jeans. “When I was a child, I began to learn about my ability. I found myself being able to transport here in this timeline, and then back. It was always the same minute, though. It was always the first time you came to knock on my door. At first, I was nice to you and we became early friends. The timeline lasted until you turned eighteen and you passed away in a freak accident.”

Thor’s eyes widened, staring at the other.

“I thought I could use my ability to change the outcome of your life, and so I went back to the beginning, when I first met you.”

“I tried every aspect possible. I tried dating you, hating you, keeping you at a distance, keeping you close, nothing worked. Every time, I would get the invitation to your funeral, and every time I would know I’ve failed you.”

Loki looked up at him, hesitantly touching his knee, as if even laying a hand on Thor could cause him to break and disappear.

“I’ve seen you die more times than I can count, and this time, I tried to look forward in time, I got stuck there for a week, and I saw that the path I was trying was going to be no different than any of the last.”

“That’s why you changed so dramatically…” Thor added in, the pieces making sense now. That’s why he had no home, or parents. That’s why he was not there that week.

Loki nodded in affirmation, sighing happily as he leaned to cup his cheeks. “But you’re here now. You made it. We’ve done it.”

Thor found himself leaning closer to the other, pulling him in and hesitantly kissing his forehead. “You could have told me, you fool.”

Loki smiled brightly, relaxing with him. “Any other questions?” He asked after a minute of silence.

“Yeah: can we get some ice cream?”


End file.
